The Healing Power of Nature

It’s been a busy few months! Even with a full schedule of encaustic classes I’ve been spending lots of time in my studio, preparing for a show of my new paintings which opens this week in Portland Oregon.

It has always been a priority for me to live close to inspiring natural areas because of the impact it has on my work and my state of mind. Being surrounded by such beauty has always had a strong influence on the colors, textures, and forms that I incorporate into my paintings. I feel the pull to paint my impressions of these places even when they are just a warm memory on a cold day.

Piercing the Sky, 36 x 48 in, mixed media. Sculpture by Christopher B. Wagner.

When Words Fail, 8 x 8 in., mixed media

My new show exploring these themes is now open in Portland Oregon. I hope you’ll join me for the reception tonight or for my artist talk in November. Here are the details:

Guardino Gallery
Reception: Thurs, October 26, 6 – 9 pm
Artist Talk: Sat, November 11 at 2 pm
2939 NE Alberta St, Portland, Oregon
Tue: 11-5pm; Wed-Sat: 11-6pm; Sun 11-4pm; Closed on Monday
The show runs through November 19, 2017

This is the gallery that gave first solo show in Oregon many, many years ago and I’m thrilled to share my new work there. I hope you’ll get a chance to see the show.

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Linda Robertson is a painter and the author of the Embracing Encaustic book series. She offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

The Art and Culture of Havana

Right up until the day we left for Cuba we still weren’t sure we would be able to get our visas. The hurricane a couple of weeks before had come close to completely canceling our family trip, but even with this new hurdle we decided to take a chance. I’m so glad we did! What an incredible trip.  (click the photo above to enlarge)

Havana is a beautiful city, rich with history and tradition. And rum! If you know me then you know how I love my rum and I was not disappointed. I was able to bring back a few bottles for my own rum tasting at home. If you get a chance to try this, the seven year old Legendario was my favorite, hands down. If I’d had room in my suitcase I would have bought all. the. rum.

Our first tour gave us a good overview of the city, but also took us to a terrible a craft market full of junk. I had given up on that stop when I

Inspiration is Everywhere

Even as a fine artist who paints for a living I still have to fight for the time to do it. Other things are always pulling at me (including that darn laundry)! I used to feel guilty when I wasn’t in my studio, but I’ve finally realized that some part of my mind is always working on my art. Inspiration is everywhere and a quick peek at the photos on my phone will reveal how much they influence the forms and colors in my paintings.

Remember that old saying, garbage in garbage out? I think they were referring to food, but it also applies to art. I find that I have to curate what imagery and stories I spend my time with because generally what I allow in to my mind is also what pops out in my paintings, even if it’s in a slightly different form.

I tend to paint very intuitively, first making backgrounds and then deciding later how to use to them. I don’t usually do a lot of planning and sketching until that point, so sometimes even I am surprised by the finished product. I tend to create imagined landscapes with lush botanical forms and vibrant colors, but I’ve recently realized that my abstractions of nature are not always so abstract. Below are two interesting examples of that. I had no intention of painting either of these subjects, but that’s what came out as I went along.

This turned into a loose representation of Mt.  Olomana, which I lived close to for nearly 20 years of my life. It’s not quite the same but what means much more to me is that it reminds me of that beautiful mountain and my fond memories of living there. I prefer to capture the feeling of a place rather than a literal depiction of it and that’s what happened here.

This moonscape was a real surprise! After stepping back to look at it I realized it is very heavy influenced by the Japanese card game I played as a child in Hawaii. I haven’t thought of Hanafuda cards in years, but I remember loving the illustrations. I must have tucked them away in my memory for later, and here they are resurfacing in my painting.

So even if you aren’t actively creating art every day you are still collecting what you’ll need for later. Who knows what will appear next time you make the time to create?

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Linda Robertson is a painter and the author of the Embracing Encaustic book series. She offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

 

 

Something Special about Gather the Wind

Just like everyone, some of my paintings resonate more with me than others. For me there’s something really special about Gather the Wind (36 x 49 in, encaustic and mixed media by Linda Robertson). It’s not just getting the technique just right, though that was extremely satisfying. I think it was more about being able to really capture the feeling I wanted to paint, not simply the shapes and colors.

It’s one of my latest, but it’s already in a new home with one of my regular collectors. In fact, we moved one of my other paintings into her bedroom to make room for this one. (Now that’s a good day!) I had to share this photo of it in pace. Look at those walls! It’s a match made in heaven, and my collector seems to agree.

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Linda Robertson is a painter and the author of the Embracing Encaustic book series. She offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

 

 

Last Wax Scrolls Class of 2017!

I love capturing the translucency of light in my paintings, but it’s even easier when working with wax and paper. The most dramatic way I’ve found to show this off is with my wax scrolls.

There are just a few spots left in my last Colorful Wax Scrolls class of the year! Join me on Saturday, July 15, from 10 am – 4 pm in my private Portland, Oregon studio.

Join me to create panels of paper and wax that are thin enough for natural light to penetrate, filling your space with energy and movement. In using paper we’ll trade some durability for dynamism, but wait until you see the result! If you keep them indoors they will last for many years, but you can still decorate your garden with them on special occasions.

View class examples and register here for my class in Portland: http://lindarobertsonarts.com/books/workshops/scrolls.html

If you can’t come to my studio class, try the online version here:
http://www.RobertsonWorkshops.com

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Linda Robertson is a painter and the author of the Embracing Encaustic book series. She offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

Studio Sale & Celebration

As many of you know my sweet studio dog Jack was diagnosed with cancer last month. The vet found a tumor on his belly that needed to be operated on right away. Within 2 days he’d had the surgery and after a few complications he is now cancer free and on the mend. I’m so very thankful that he will be OK.

Now it’s time to celebrate! I’m combining my spring studio sale with a party for Jack. Expect a big cake and wine as well as plenty of great art and some fun and unusual auction items. Jack will be available for belly scratches and photographs all afternoon.

Studio Sale & Celebration
[My studio sale was a big success, thank you!]
Linda Robertson Arts Studio

My summer encaustic class schedule is out too so come by to see what the projects we’ll create and sign up for classes (they are filling fast). It’s going to be a great summer to make some art!

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Linda Robertson is a painter and the author of the Embracing Encaustic book series. She offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

Wax(y) Weeks and Weekends Ahead

Wax Weekend workshop: Photo Encaustic

Luminous Landscapes

Every year I hear from more artists who are combining their travel plans with learning new art techniques. A couple of years ago I had people from 4 different countries in one of my classes, and since I only take 6 students at a time that’s pretty impressive!

This year in addition to my five-day Wax Week intensive workshops, I’m also offering a few two- and three-day Wax Weekend sessions that focus on a particular theme including Luminous Landscapes, Photo Encaustic and my brand-new Secret Messages class.

Wax Weekends (2-3 days)
5/19-5/21: Photo Encaustic
6/24-6/25: Luminous Landscapes
7/7-7/9: Secret Messages

Secret Messages

Wax Week (5 days)
8/2-8/6: Textured Landscapes

One of the most exciting things about working with encaustic are the unusual textures you can add to your paintings, so for this year’s Wax Week class I’m offering something new called Textured Landscapes. It’s a radical extension of my shorter Luminous Landscapes class. This 5-day intensive workshop combines some of my most popular classes with some brand new techniques that will keep you creating new work for years to come.

In this class we’ll focus on creating Textured Landscapes using encaustic with a wide variety of materials including textured gesso, watercolor, pigment sticks, and photo transfers. We’ll use whatever media we need to create your vision, and working in small groups in my studio makes that possible. I hope you’ll join me in Oregon soon!

Wax Week workshop: Textured Landscapes

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Linda Robertson is a painter and the author of the Embracing Encaustic book series. She offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

Join Us For Some Fresh AIR

The seven artists who partnered in the AIR Gallery at Pioneer Place are having a reunion this month to show new work in encaustic, oil, cold wax, acrylic, photography and mixed media.

The AIR Gallery, like the other galleries at Pioneer Place, brought many of us together, encouraged creativity, fostered the collection and understanding of art, and nurtured lasting friendships.

The partners of the AIR Gallery are honored to not only show new work, but are also excited to provide the chance to travel back in time. The show “Reunion” will run through May, but for one night

A Blast From the Past, 20 x 24 Polaroids

In college I was one of 10 artists who received a scholarship through California State University to create my work on the legendary 20 x 24 Polaroid camera. The camera was flown from New York to Humboldt State University and Program Director John Reuter helped us photograph the setups we had been experimenting with on 4 x 5 and 8 x 10 view cameras.

Since its introduction in 1978 this camera has been recognized as one of the most unique photography tools available. Originally developed to accurately reproduce works of art, the camera was quickly recognized as a creative tool to make instant photographs of 20 by 24 inches. Early practitioners included Chuck Close, Ansel Adams and William Wegman. Only 5 cameras were ever constructed and

Little Beauties to Start Your Collection

My personal collection of small scale art was featured this week in a blog post by my friend and fellow artist Jess Weems Thibault. It’s a great reminder to all of us that the joy of art outlasts so many other things we can spend our money on.

See more of my own art by viewing my portfolio.

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Linda Robertson is a painter and the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

Meet Me at the Dog Park!

Last month I had the pleasure of participating in a wonderful storytelling group where we all shared the adventures of dogs in our lives, both past and present. This was conceived by my talented friends by Fred Swan and Stan Peterson who are both well loved artists in Portland Oregon. The event, called Dog Tales was an intimate experience that lead to knowing more about my fellow artist that I would have ever learned during those brief conversations we’re able to have during gallery openings.

Happy Together No Matter the Weather (left) and A Friend for All Seasons (right) by Linda Robertson. Both 24 x 24 in., acrylic on canvas. $425 each, framed.

This event was the seed for the new show called Dog Park on view until March 21 at the Ford Gallery. I have two new paintings in the show which express my enthusiasm for my canine companions over the years. I created these in the same style as my recent encaustic paintings, but just to shake things up I worked in acrylic with which I have very little experience. The process was alternately fun and pretty darn awful, but I eventually found my rhythm and I’m very happy with the results.

I often try new mediums and methods to remind myself how it feels to try something completely new because I think it makes me a better teacher and artist. This project was an especially good reminder that sometimes I just need to keep working at a problem until I figure it out, no matter how frustrated I might get.

As an added bonus, a friend let me play with Illustrator on her iPad so I could quickly try different colors for the silhouette in one of my paintings. Very fun!

I hope you’ll catch the show if you can. More than 30 artists are represented using a variety of styles to celebrate the dogs that fill their hearts with love.

Ford Gallery
2505 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR
Show runs through March 21

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Linda Robertson is a painter and the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

Don’t Forget to Breathe (and Make Art)

For the past several weeks I’ve been distracted by our political turmoil, spending much more time outside my studio making my voice heard. Democracy can be messy and exhausting and I definitely need a break. More specifically I need an ART break. Maybe you do too?

I’ve heard from many artists who say they are having trouble focusing or simply not feeling very creative right now. That’s understandable, and please know that you are not alone, but finding a way back into making art can help. You can see why this is one of my favorite quotes:

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
~ Pablo Picasso

A few days ago I realized there’s a quick way I can help — by making my classes more accessible. So I’ve reduced the prices on all of my online encaustic classes! Each purchase gives you a full year of immediate access to the class videos, with the ability to watch them as many times as you’d like and work at your own pace.

So go on, dig in. Now you can try something new for less while “washing away the dust.” And don’t forget to breathe.

>> View My Online Classes Here

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Linda Robertson is a painter and the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

Ice Storms and Art Shows Don’t Mix

It been an unusually cold winter here in Oregon. I know everyone laughs about us panicking at the first snowflake, but these ice storms are no joke!

Unfortunately they have impacted several great art shows, including the annual BIG 500 fundraiser for the Oregon Food Bank. There was still a great turnout for the opening day, but it was definitely slower than previous years.

Most of these painting were started while I was away on a residency retreat in Hawaii, so you’ll see even more tropical influences than usual. (And yes, I do see the irony in that.) I experimented  with a loose, abstracted style as well as watercolor, encaustic, oil and cold wax in various combinations for different looks. It was very exciting!

 

Ko’olau Sunset,  Watercolor, oil and cold wax, 8 x 8 in., SOLD

Kailua Morning, Watercolor, oil and cold wax, 8 x 8 in.

Windswept, Watercolor, oil and encaustic, 8 x 8 in.

Fiery Shore,Watercolor, oil and encaustic, 8 x 8 in.

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Linda Robertson is a painter and the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.

 

Kailua Pathways: A Healing Residency

When does a simple vacation become a residency? It’s all about setting your intention.

I recently had the opportunity to spend 10 days in Hawaii and wanted to make it more than a trip to the beach so I invited my trusted friend Kimberly Kent to join me. We arranged space to paint while we were there, exploring our shared love of celebrating nature in our work. We pushed each other in new directions and painted much more than we would have on our own. And the dogs we got to hang out with were a huge bonus!

During the past several years both Kimberly and I have experienced a similar path that included life altering trauma and repeated loss mixed with overwhelming support and surprising successes. Together we have passed into middle age and all it has to offer. The glue holding it all together has been our art.

Where does that leave us now, and how does it inform the art making in a more real way? How does it empower us to find our voice and hone it to be heard by others who need it. There are art makers and art enthusiasts, all of whom feel the power art in a similar way.

During our recovery we both had a nose to the grindstone approach to healing. Now that we’ve made some progress with that it’s time for a little more reflection and intention, so we used this this time to take the next step. Here are some of our efforts.

[Sunrise Palms by Linda Robertson, watercolor, oil and cold wax]

We often started working on location at

Choose from 5,000 Paintings!

A big thanks to Chris Haberman and and Jason Brown for inviting me to be in The Big 500 Art Show again this year. After the galleries at Pioneer Place shut down last year we were afraid that might be the end of this wonderful fundraiser for the Oregon Food Bank, but (very) thankfully the Ford Gallery stepped up to host the event!

Invited artists — 500 of us — are each given 10 or more wood panels and let loose to create whatever we like, knowing that all 8 x 8 inch panels will sell for just $40 each. Do that math…that’s at least 5,000 paintings! I usually make 10 but managed to get to 15 paintings this year! No only is this a benefit for the Oregon Food Bank but it’s also a great way to allow just about anyone to afford an original piece of art. They make great gifts too.

This is an exciting show because when the art is hung there are no names included with the work which evens the playing field. Art from a very well known artist may be sitting right  next to that of someone in their first art show, but all you need to care about is DO YOU LIKE THE WORK? I love this idea.

The Ford Gallery
2505 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR
December 11 – 23, 2016. 9am-6pm daily

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Linda Robertson is a painter and the author of the Embracing Encaustic Book series and she offers live encaustic workshops in her Portland, Oregon studio as well as online encaustic classes.